Antonio Scalia, a pioneer in the field of law and justice, was one of the most notable legal figures; he served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1986 until his death in 2016. Given his hardline conservative convictions, his performance on the bench was outstanding. He was frequently referred to as the intellectual anchor of the Court’s conservative majority since he was a popular believer in traditional procedures. He strongly defended textualism in legislative interpretation and originalism in constitutional interpretation, owing to his conventional philosophy. Despite his reputation for being aggressive and insulting, many who have spent time with him say he is lovely and unpretentious. He was a staunch supporter of the executive branch’s powers, believing that presidential authority should be paramount in many areas. He had a strong influence on the United States Supreme Court and lower courts for these reasons. Read the next lines to learn more about his childhood, life, and profile.
Childhood and Adolescence
Salvatore Eugene Scalia and Catherine Scalia had a son named Antonin Scalia. His mother was an elementary school teacher, while his father worked as a clerk before becoming a Romance language professor at Brooklyn College.
His family relocated to Elmhurst, Queens, when he was six years old. He received all of the attention and attraction because he was the family’s only child. His expectations, on the other hand, were sky-high.
He entered at Georgetown University in 1953 and graduated four years later as valedictorian and summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.
He subsequently went on to Harvard Law School to study law. He worked as a Notes Editor for the Harvard Law Review while in law school. He received a magna cum laude diploma in 1960.
He was named a Harvard University Sheldon Fellow, allowing him to travel throughout Europe for a year from 1960 to 1961.
Career of Antonin Scalia
In 1961, he began his professional career at the Cleveland law firm of Jones, Day, Cockley, and Reavis. Though he was well-liked and had the potential to advance through the ranks of the company to become a partner, he understood that this wasn’t his true calling.
Following in his father’s footsteps, he accepted a position as Professor of Law at the University of Virginia in 1967, fulfilling a long-held ambition. He and his family relocated to Charlottesville, Virginia.
His time at the institution came to an end in 1971, when he went into government service. President Richard Nixon offered him the position of General Counsel for the Office of Telecommunications Policy. His job was developing public policy to support the expansion of cable television.
He served as Chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States for two years, from 1972 to 1974. It was a modest agency that attempted to help the federal bureaucracy run more efficiently.
He was nominated as one of the best prospects for the position of Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel during Nixon’s presidency. Despite Gerald Ford’s assumption of the presidency, his candidacy was sustained, and the Senate confirmed it on August 22, 1974.
Following the Watergate incident, he defended the Ford administration, which had a number of disagreements with Congress. He backed executive privilege claims that prevented papers from being turned over.
In 1976, he argued for the United States government in Alfred Dunhill of London, Inc. v. Republic of Cuba, his only case before the Supreme Court. The lawsuit was decided in Dunhill’s favor, resulting in his win.
Scalia took a job at the American Enterprise Institute for a few months after Ford lost the presidential election to newly elected President Jimmy Carter. But it wasn’t long before he returned to academia, and from 1977 to 1982, he was a professor at the University of Chicago Law School.
He spent a year as a visiting lecturer at Stanford Law School during his stay at the University of Chicago. He was named the first academic adviser for the newly formed Federalist Society at the University of Chicago in 1981.
In 1980, when Ronald Reagan was elected President, it was wonderful news for Scalia, who had hoped to be appointed to a key position in the new government. He was offered a position in the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago after losing his position as Solicitor General of the United States, which he declined.
He was eventually assigned to the District of Columbia Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals, which has a lot of power. On August 5, 1982, the United States Senate confirmed him for the position, and he was sworn in on August 17, 1982.
During his time on the DC Circuit, he solidified his conservative image by receiving praise and acclaim for his persuasive yet funny legal writing. As a lower court judge, he was obligated to follow the US Supreme Court, which he frequently criticized. This brought him to the attention of Ronald Reagan, who put his name up for a Supreme Court nomination in the event that a seat became empty in the future.
When Chief Justice Warren Burger retired in 1986, Associate Justice William Rehnquist was appointed to take his place, leaving a vacancy for Rehnquist’s associate justice seat. Scalia was chosen as the best contender for the job.
On September 17, 1986, he was confirmed as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, making him the first Italian-American justice. On September 26, 1986, he began his new job.
He branded himself as an originalist in his new role, interpreting the United States Constitution as it would have been understood when it was first established. This is in stark contrast to the current viewpoint, which sees the constitution as a living text that takes into consideration the ideas of modern society.
He has consistently contended that there is no constitutional right to abortion over the years. Given the urgency of the situation, he highlighted that if the majority of the country’s citizens want legalized abortion, the subject should be decided in the legislature and a law established to implement it.
He voted to repeal legislation that discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or sexual orientation. He also claimed that policies that make gender distinctions should be submitted to intermediate examination.
He emphasized his belief that the death sentence is constitutional under criminal law. Even in circumstances when the perpetrator is under the age of 18, he has stated unequivocally that the death sentence is illegal.
Personal History and Legacy
He married Maureen McCarthy, whom he met on a blind date during his time at Harvard Law School. She graduated from Radcliffe College with a bachelor’s degree in English. The couple has nine children, including five males and four daughters.
In the early morning of February 13, 2016, he died in his sleep from a probable heart attack.
Estimated Net Worth
The estimated net worth of Antonin Scalia is about 1.9 Million Dollors.